Of Crime and Coffee
FBI Agent Aubrey Posen doesn't have time for love. Not with the body count beginning to rise and always another crime to solve. But a certain redhead with a flair for designer coffee drinks may just change her mind.
A/N – Totally AU and just for fun. I don't own anything you recognize. Also, I'm not a cop or criminal so don't expect the police story lines to be too advanced. Thanks for reading!
Chapter One
Agent Aubrey Posen clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes at the perpetrator in her sights. She squared her shoulders as she prepared to make her move on the wrongdoer. The blonde steeled her nerves and stepped forward. She placed her cup of coffee down on the counter more forcefully than she intended. The woman behind the counter jumped slightly in surprise but smiled when she saw who had approached, her bright blue eyes shining.
"Back for another already? You must have a busy day ahead of you."
Aubrey pursed her lips and shook her head. "This…is not what I ordered."
The young woman working in the coffee shop dropped her gaze to the cup of coffee on the counter and then back up at the blonde. She still didn't wipe the smile off her face. "I'm sorry about that. I'll be happy fix it for you. What would you like?"
"Black coffee." Aubrey said, her words clear and crisp. "This is the third time you've given me the wrong drink. I always order plain black coffee. This…is a sugary, whipped creamed, caramel flavored monstrosity."
The woman tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and quirked a brow. Then to Aubrey's surprise, the woman reached for her drink and took a sip. Her eyes closed as she savored the flavor of the coffee masterpiece.
"This is a salted caramel and vanilla latte with just a hint of almond and topped with whipped cream. It just happens to be my go-to drink. Well, my go-to coffee drink anyway. You didn't like it?"
The redheaded woman tilted her head to the side slightly as she waited for Aubrey's response. The blonde felt her cheeks reddening and her mouth went dry as she seemed to get lost in the woman's striking blue eyes. She squared her shoulders once again. "It's diabetes in a cup."
Blue eyes sparkled with laughter at Aubrey's words. "Ok, so maybe it is a little sweet. I can try to find something else you might like. Let's see-"
"Coffee." Aubrey said again, curtly. "Black coffee…please."
The woman's smile finally faded and she nodded. "Right. Black coffee coming right up."
Aubrey felt a twinge of guilt at the frown on the pretty woman's face as she turned away to get her replacement drink. She forced a smile to her face as the woman placed a larger cup of coffee in front of her than she had originally ordered.
"So, will you tell me your name so I can fully apologize? I can't let a pretty lady leave unsatisfied."
The blonde felt her cheeks flush again in embarrassment at the detour her thoughts veered off on involuntarily. The redhead's grin widened at the sight as if she knew exactly what the taller woman was thinking.
"Aubrey." She replied quietly. "Aubrey Posen."
The redhead nodded once, pleased with herself. She reached and pulled both a slice of pound cake and a fruit and yogurt parfait and placed them down on the counter with the coffee. "Well Aubrey, I sincerely apologize for mixing up your order-three times-and I would really appreciate it if you would take these as well. All on the house of course."
Aubrey sighed but smiled genuinely as the shorter woman finished her speech with a small curtsey. "Apology accepted. And thank you."
The barista nodded once again, still smiling. "I'm Chloe by the way. Chloe Beale."
Aubrey smiled in return and gathered her food and coffee as she turned to leave. "Have a nice day."
"You too Aubrey." Chloe called. "See you tomorrow?"
The blonde simply nodded in return, already focused on the day ahead as she pushed the door open with her shoulder and stepped out into the morning. Chloe watched her go with a sigh.
"Well that went well." Chloe glanced over her shoulder where her friend and coworker, Jesse Swanson, stood with his arms crossed and a goofy grin on his face. "You've been flustered over that pretty blonde for weeks now and you messed up her drink order. And not once, but three times? It's like the easiest drink order ever…black coffee. Good job Chlo."
The redhead laughed and shrugged. "Well, how else was I ever going to get her to talk to me? Every morning when she comes in and orders she's usually got her nose buried in her phone or seems in a rush. Desperate times my friend. I had to do something!"
Jesse laughed as Chloe began to wipe down the countertops. "You did that on purpose?"
"Got her name finally didn't I?" She replied with a smirk. "That's progress if you ask me."
"Yeah sure," he replied. "How many times have you gone back to a place that screwed up your order that many times?"
Chloe's smile faded in realization. "Well shit."
Jesse laughed again before stepping up to the counter to take the next customer's order.
xxxx
Aubrey didn't return to the coffee shop the next morning. Or the next. Chloe's heart sank with the realization that she had most likely turned the beautiful blonde off of the shop with her stunt. Jesse smiled sympathetically as two days passed with no sign of the other woman.
xxxx
"You ready Mitchell?"
Beca Mitchell rolled her eyes at the serious tone of her partner's voice. But still she once again checked to be certain that the safety was off on her pistol. "Yep, ready."
"Ok." Aubrey replied, with a resolute nod. "We're all in position, let's do this."
The team of FBI agents quickly descended upon the target, two groups entering from the front and two from the back. The occupants were taken completely by surprise as they counted out the money from their most recent transaction, never realizing the bills had been marked and tracked.
"FBI, don't move!"
And within seconds it was all over. The drug traffickers were taken into custody and the agents began collecting the evidence.
"Excellent work Agent Posen."
The blonde smiled and nodded slightly in the direction of her Deputy Chief when he arrived on scene. "Thank you Sir. I'm relieved it went so smoothly, thanks mostly to the great undercover work on the deal itself. The team did a great job!"
The tall, balding man once again congratulated her before moving on to address the other agents. Aubrey couldn't help but feel proud of herself. It was only her second case as lead agent and it had been executed flawlessly. Not even the smirk on her partner's face could ruin her mood.
"Able Aubrey." Beca Mitchel said, smirk ever present, as Aubrey finished up her debriefing of the operation. "Able…Abe. I like it! From now on I'll call you Abe."
"No you won't." Aubrey replied coolly. "Don't call me that.
"Why?" Beca asked. "What's wrong with this one?"
The blonde nodded to another agent as they cleared out and accepted congratulations from another. "Nothing more than the last two nicknames you've tried to come up with for me. They are a waste of time and frivolous. My name is Aubrey. If you insist on calling me something other than that, Agent Posen is perfectly acceptable."
The brunette rolled her eyes at her partner's formal tone. "You know we've been partners for a while now. I'm not going to call you Agent Posen. You're not my grandmother."
The blonde ignored her as she finished wrapping up the day. Beca just sighed as she set about helping her partner finish clearing the scene. A short time later they were finally ready to depart.
"Man, I'm starving." Beca said as they made their way back to their unmarked vehicle.
Aubrey glanced sideways at her partner and quirked a brow. Beca met the blonde's gaze with a quirked brow of her own.
"What? We just kicked ass and now I'm hungry. What's the problem?"
Aubrey finally chuckled and rolled her eyes. Her partner could not have been more different from herself. Beca was relaxed and almost careless at times. Aubrey herself was rigid and a strict rule follower. Rules were there for a reason and most often, if you simply followed the rules, you would have a favorable outcome.
Her father was a strict military man and drilled order and structure into her from an early age. Clearly Beca had not been taught the same. She looked nothing like what an FBI agent typically looked like. Her eye liner was thick, her clothing looked more rocker than law enforcement. But the blonde had to admit that she was a fairly decent agent.
She had at first been upset at having been paired with the petite brunette as her partner. Beca seemed to have no problem with calling Aubrey out and challenging her on nearly every decision. But she had backed her when needed as well.
Protocol called for the two of them to return to headquarters and get started on the mountain of paperwork that went with any operation. But Aubrey was in too good a mood to retreat to the office yet. And Beca had for once followed the plan exactly as it had been laid out. In Aubrey's estimation, the brunette deserved some amount of positive reinforcement.
"I know a good spot…not too far from here." Aubrey said softly. "It's a coffee shop but they have sandwiches and pastries too."
Beca narrowed her eyes, surprised the other woman agreed so easily. There must be some catch. Or some reason the blonde wanted to go to this particular coffee shop. "Yeah, ok. That's great. Thanks Aubrey."
The blonde smiled and looked pleased with herself. Beca smirked and couldn't help but wonder what she was going to find at this coffee shop.
xxxx
Beca bit her lip to keep from chuckling when she caught sight of Aubrey's cheeks flushing bright red as the woman behind the counter of the coffee shop beamed at them as they walked through the door. She quirked a brow and continued to fight a smile as Aubrey immediately seemed to revert from her stoic, rigid self, into that of an awkward, nervous teenager confronted with their crush.
The pretty redhead was still smiling widely as they stepped up to the counter.
"Hey there Aubrey." She said, her bright blue eyes sparkling. "It's always good to see a regular customer. I was afraid we'd lost your business after that whole coffee mix-up. What can I get you?"
Aubrey seemed preoccupied with straightening her suit jacket and hadn't responded to the smiling woman across from them. Beca smirked and moved to edge the other woman out of the way so she could place her order.
"Well, for starters, give me your best caramel flavored coffee drink." Beca said as she scanned the menu for food items. "Oh and that cream pastry. And this bagel…with extra cream cheese."
Aubrey quirked a brow at the shorter woman's order while Chloe smiled excitedly.
"I know just the caramel coffee drink for you…ask Aubrey here, she's sampled it!" Chloe said with a chuckle.
Beca grinned up at the taller blonde. "Has she now? Does Aubrey here frequent your establishment often?"
"Oh nearly every morning…until I screwed up her coffee order a few days ago." Chloe replied. "I was worried we had lost her business but here she is, back again! And bringing new customers!"
"Oh she practically begged me to come here with her." Beca said in return. "We just finished busting this nasty drug trafficker and I was about to pass out from hunger and Aubrey here, she saved the day and said she knew just the spot."
Chloe's eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly. "Are you guys like cops or something?"
Aubrey rolled her eyes as Beca continued with a smirk, clearly enjoying the banter. "Even better though. We're FBI agents…Partners actually…but only in the professional sense." She ended with a wink and Aubrey felt her cheeks flush once again.
"Well then," the redhead replied as she placed the brunette's order on the counter in front of her, "your order is on me. Thanks for your service ladies."
Beca quirked a brow and smirked as the redhead's attention was focused solely on Aubrey. "And we thank you."
With that, Beca stepped away from the counter hoping to witness the interaction between the two as Aubrey stepped squarely to the counter.
"Black coffee." Chloe said softly before giving the blonde the chance to order. "Anything to go with it?"
Aubrey smiled and shrugged. "That fruit and yogurt parfait was really good. I'll take another one of those."
Chloe's smile widened and she nodded. "Coming right up Aubrey. It's really good to see you again. Like I said, I was worried that you wouldn't come back after that coffee drink mix up. We take pleasing our customers very seriously here at Bellas Coffee Café. Thanks for giving us another chance."
Aubrey grinned shyly back at the redhead and nodded.
Chloe turned quickly to gather the blonde's order. Aubrey's brow quirked as two coffee cups were placed in front of her. "But I only ordered coffee-"
"Oh I know, it's right here." Chloe replied scooting one cup closer to the blonde. "But this, is my newest creation. Just try it. A hint of vanilla and peppermint, just a hint, and no caramel or whipped cream. It's just black coffee with a subtle touch of flavor. Let me know what you think."
Aubrey swallowed thickly and nodded. "Thanks, I will."
She gathered her items and turned away, to find Beca smirking at her. She clenched her jaw and strode purposefully toward the door.
"Thank you!" Beca called back to the redhead behind the counter. "This place is terrific. I'll definitely be back…Aubrey too I'm sure."
Chloe smiled and waved as the pair disappeared.
Beca couldn't help but chuckle as Aubrey sniffed the coffee drink made especially for her. She watched as the taller woman took a tentative sip.
"Well, how is it?"
Aubrey quickly shot a glare at the brunette as she put the drink back into the cup holder between the seats of their car. "It's fine. But so is my normal order."
"Ya know," Beca said absentmindedly as she glanced out the window once the blonde started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, "black coffee is pretty easy to do yourself. You just plug in the pot and put the coffee and water in and out comes plain ole black coffee. You wouldn't have to go to a shop to buy it. Just think of the money you could be saving."
Aubrey glanced at the brunette next to her and cleared her throat. "I suppose. But I also like to support local business owners."
Beca smirked. "I bet you do."
xxxx
Aubrey was already out of sorts when she pulled up to the latest crime scene she had been called to report to. It was early in the morning and there hadn't been time to stop for coffee, not even the nasty gas station coffee she settled for occasionally. And while Bellas Coffee Café had its obvious perks, the blonde did in fact function better with coffee in her system so the early start had left her unsettled. That had been well over an hour ago and she felt a headache coming on, both from the lack of caffeine and the stress of her newest case.
"Hey, how's it looking?"
Aubrey turned on her heel. After nearly an hour and a half of analyzing the scene, the forensics unit arriving to finish collecting the evidence was a welcome sight.
"Another body…this time she's blonde, mid-thirties, early forties."
"Fifth one in two months." Beca interjected, stepping closer to the pair and casting her gaze around her surroundings. "Fucking cliché spot to dump a body. Shady tunnel underneath train tracks. God, it's even raining."
Aubrey glanced up as a train clattered on the tracks above their heads. "We've got an ID on the body, her purse was dumped with her. She doesn't fit the pattern, she's older. A stay at home mom."
"They're connected." Beca replied. "We just haven't found how yet. But we will. Five women here in Georgia in two months, three in South Carolina, two in Tennessee. All dumped, all seemingly random…too random. It is not a coincidence."
The blonde glanced to the shorter woman. "Random does not equal a connection…you should know that."
"They are connected." She replied. "I have a feeling."
Aubrey smirked. "A feeling? Like a hunch?"
"Yes, like a hunch." Beca shot back. "You know, like an instinct, gut feeling? That thing that makes us good at our job?"
"I prefer to deal in facts." Aubrey replied. "And the fact is, we have a few random victims with no traceable connection other than they've been dumped randomly. We've been through this and through this Beca…we have no quantifiable evidence that we have a serial killer on our hands. You're panicking for no good reason."
"And I'm telling you that you're wrong." The brunette said, turning to face the taller woman. "Look, I may not have been at this as long as you and I may not have been the top graduate my year at the academy, but I know what I'm doing. And I know there's a connection. There is. And I'll find it."
Aubrey narrowed her eyes and exhaled slowly at the sight of her partner's intense gaze. She sighed. "Ok. We'll keep looking. But we don't go running to the Chief until we actually have something solid. Got it?"
Beca smiled and nodded. "Of course. What do you think I am, some stupid rookie?"
Aubrey rolled her eyes as Beca stalked off in the rain.
xxxx
"So, have you been back to that coffee shop lately?"
Aubrey glanced at the woman next to her, careful not to take her eyes off the road for more than a few seconds. "What coffee shop?" She asked, feigning ignorance.
Beca smirked. "Don't give me that shit. You know which coffee shop…the one with the pretty redhead."
The brunette eyed the other woman as Aubrey clenched her jaw. "I suppose she is attractive. I didn't realize you like women."
"Oh I don't…no more than I like anyone else." Beca replied. "I'm a career woman. And honestly…I didn't know you like women either."
The car veered slightly as Aubrey was taken by surprise at the other woman's words. She quickly corrected and turned a glare towards Beca. "I do not like women. I am not gay. And I'll thank you to never mention that again!"
"Oh come on, there's nothing wrong with being gay." The shorter woman said, lifting one foot to rest nonchalantly on the dash of the car. "In fact, I hear it's become kinda trendy even."
Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Get your foot down!"
"Geez, lighten up Abe."
The blonde clenched the steering wheel tighter, her knuckles turning white. "I've asked you not to call me that."
Beca just rolled her eyes. "Well, have you?"
"Have I what?" Aubrey replied, barely concealing her exasperation.
"Been back to the coffee shop of course!" The brunette exclaimed. "I swear, sometimes you're pretty dense Aubrey."
The blonde narrowed her eyes at the other woman's exaggerated pronunciation of her full name. She chose to let it slide. "No. I haven't been back, haven't had time."
"Well that's too bad." Beca said with a smirk. "I'm sure Chloe misses you."
Aubrey once again tightened her grip on the wheel. She then reached and flicked on the car radio, something she usually strictly forbade while the vehicle was in motion. For once she welcomed the distraction.
xxxx
Beca rubbed her eyes tiredly as she pushed the cart down the aisle of the small grocery store near her apartment. She was exhausted. The latest victim in the string of dead woman was plaguing her mind. At first glance, there was no connection. The ages and physical descriptions of the victims varied. The only obvious connection was that they were all dumped in shady, cliché areas, like the most recent one near the railroad tracks.
"Railroad tracks." She mumbled to herself. "Dumped near railroad tracks."
Her senses began to buzz as the addresses of the woman popped back into her mind. "They're all within walking distance of a train station. And dumped within walking distance of train tracks. That motherfucker is on the train!"
She shoved her cart to the side as she sprinted out of the grocery store, ignoring the stares as she ran.
xxxx
Aubrey yawned tiredly and pinched the bridge of her nose. The files of the open cases were scattered on her kitchen table where she was currently sitting, her fourth cup of steaming black coffee next to her.
The sound of a solid knock to her apartment door broke her from her reverie as she stared, wondering what she was missing. She slid from her chair and approached the door slowly.
"Aubrey, it's me, open up!"
The blonde relaxed at the sound of her partner's voice. She unlocked the door and opened it, the brunette pushing her way into the apartment before Aubrey could even invite her in.
"The train tracks!" Beca exclaimed. "That's the connection. They're dumped near train tracks but all of their addresses are within walking distance of a train stop as well. This asshole is riding a train and finding his victims. All the towns in all three states are connected by the railway line. This son of a bitch is using the railway lines. If we check, I get all of the women took a train on the days they were killed."
Aubrey shook her head slightly as she shut her door behind the woman who had just barged into her apartment. Beca was already at the kitchen table leaning over the files. She pulled a map out of the bag she had slung over her shoulder and spread it out on the table as well.
"What are you doing?" Aubrey asked as she stepped closer.
"Here, look. Here, here and here…the victims' homes." The brunette said, pointing to various locations on the map. "And here, here, and here…where bodies were found. And these spots…train stations. Not metro, but old school train stations. There's our connection."
Aubrey narrowed her eyes as she studied the map, taking in the information. "It's definitely something worth looking into. And let's face it, we don't exactly have any other leads. How'd you come up with this?"
"Just came to me in the grocery store. Hey you got anything to eat?"
"I thought you just came from the grocery store?"
Beca shrugged, already wandering toward the blonde's pantry. "I ditched the cart, came right over here. We could always make a coffee shop run…"
Aubrey quirked a brow as the shorter woman smirked over her shoulder at her. "Very funny. If you need coffee you can make a pot."
"Oh so you do know how to do it yourself?"
"Yes, of course I know how to make coffee." The blonde said, rolling her eyes. "I told you, I just like to support local shop owners. Oh for God's sake, throw a frozen pizza in and come on. We've got work to do."
xxxx
Aubrey nodded to the officer as he lifted the yellow tape for her to slip under it. Another body. Another crime scene within walking distance of train tracks. Beca might actually be on to something. But there hadn't been two killings so close together before. Maybe it was a coincidence.
She clenched her jaw and once again prepared herself mentally for what she was about to witness. She hoped she never grew calloused to seeing dead bodies but she had at least reached a point where she didn't have to worry about losing her lunch at every crime scene.
This was routine, just another murder she could solve. Another wrong she could right. Routine. Until she caught a glimpse of red hair fanning out underneath the sheet covering the latest victim. And suddenly, for some inexplicable reason, the case didn't feel routine at all.
Aubrey staggered slightly. Her stomach began to churn and her head began to swim.
"If you throw up and contaminate this crime scene I will kick your ass."
Beca appeared at her side and quickly grabbed Aubrey by the arm and steered her away from the body.
"What's wrong?" Beca asked as the blonde reached a hand out against the building to steady herself. "Aubrey?"
Aubrey swallowed thickly before she released a slow breath as she tried to regain her composure. She glanced back to the body and once again winced against the bile rising in her throat. "Red hair." She mumbled, too softly for her partner to hear.
Beca narrowed her eyes at the blonde before she glanced back over her shoulder to see if she could determine what the problem was. Realization dawned on her when she too spotted the woman's hair. She quickly turned back to Aubrey. "Oh Aubrey…it's not her."
The blonde's eyes snapped up to meet Beca's. "What?"
"You're thinking it's the redhead from the coffee shop." Beca continued. "It isn't her, I promise. I got a look at the body before you got here."
Aubrey visibly relaxed then and sighed in relief, almost involuntarily.
Beca smirked. "Well, there's no denying it now. Admit it, you like her."
Aubrey stiffened and squared her shoulders. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
The brunette laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Aubrey, cut the shit. You just about had a panic attack and lost your lunch because you caught a glimpse of red hair. Just fucking tell her already."
"Tell her what?" Aubrey cried. "I'm not gay."
"Oh please, anyone could be gay for her…she's gorgeous." Beca replied with a smirk.
Aubrey narrowed her eyes at the shorter woman and felt her anger rising. "I'm pretty sure that's offensive. But what do you mean anyone? You I suppose? Beca, I swear to God…"
The brunette laughed, which only made the blonde even angrier. "Relax Aubrey, I'm not going to steal your girl."
"She is not my girl!" Aubrey exclaimed. "And I am not gay!"
"Well you're definitely something for her. And she is totally in to you too." Beca replied, smirking once again.
At the smaller woman's words, Aubrey nearly tripped over her own feet. "Don't be ridiculous." She said, her cheeks reddening. "She is not. Chloe is friendly with everyone. And for all I know she's probably married or dating or…straight."
"She is none of those things." Beca said. "She told me so herself. And she asked me about you, specifically your relationship status."
"When did you have time to talk to her?" Aubrey asked suspiciously. "I was right there with you the whole time."
The brunette shrugged with a sly grin. "Oh I've gone back a few times. You're right, Bellas Coffee Café is great! Chloe too. But she's pretty disappointed you haven't been back in lately. She's in to you, I'm telling you!"
Aubrey wasn't certain if she wanted to slap the ever present smirk from Beca's face or hug her. She settled for wanting to kick herself at the flutter she felt in her stomach at the thought of Chloe asking about her.
Beca quirked a brow and fought a laugh at the look on the blonde's face. She finally softened, knowing Aubrey well enough to know how alone she felt the majority of the time. "Just talk to her Aubrey. Go back and order your boring black coffee and chances are, she'll ask you out before you even have to worry about working up the nerve to."
Aubrey simply squared her shoulders again and headed back toward the crime scene without a reply.
"And by the way," Beca finally called out, "train tracks…again. I'm on to something, admit it. These bodies are connected…and you're in love with a hot redheaded barista. Just a hunch, I know these things!"
The blonde clenched her jaw but continued walking.
"Just talk to her Aubrey!" Beca called once again. "You won't regret it, I promise!"
xxxx
Aubrey checked her reflection in the rearview mirror of her car for the third time as she pulled into the parking lot of Bellas Coffee Café. The sight of the murdered redhead had unnerved her, there was no denying that. And Beca's words had given her a small amount of courage. But once she had pulled into the parking lot her courage had faded quickly.
What could Chloe possibly want with her? Aubrey was boring, just like her choice of coffee drink. She was straight laced and neurotic and a workaholic. Plus the idea that she could be a lesbian had never before entered her brain. Of course neither had the idea that she could be straight. She had simply never considered a relationship with anyone. She was textbook for commitment and trust issues thanks to the death of her mother and her strict military father.
But still, Aubrey clenched her jaw and willed herself to step out of her vehicle. She was a glutton for punishment. There was just something about Chloe that the blonde couldn't resist. The redhead was everything that was pure and kind and welcoming. Her bubbly personality was infectious.
Aubrey once again smoothed down her suit jacket as she stepped closer to the shop. She nearly groaned in disappointment at the sight of the brown haired man at the counter taking orders. She quickly scanned the shop but didn't see the redhead anywhere.
She finally did sigh in disappointment and stepped in line.
Chloe stepped out of the storage closet and her breath caught at the sight of Aubrey scanning the coffee shop. When the blonde sighed and stepped in line with a slight frown on her face, Chloe couldn't help but feel excitement bubbling in her stomach. She bit her bottom lip and smiled.
The patron in front of Aubrey placed their order and stepped to the side just as Chloe rushed in to hip check Jesse out of her way so that she could take the blonde's order.
"Hi, welcome back." Chloe said with a warm smile.
Aubrey blinked in surprise, the other woman's sudden appearance startling her. "Oh…Hello Chloe. How are you this morning?"
The redhead's smile widened and she shrugged. "Oh, can't complain. I have a job I love and work with great people and get to serve coffee to amazing people, like yourself."
Aubrey blushed and dropped her gaze.
"So, what did you think of the coffee with the touch of vanilla and peppermint? I tried to cut back on the sugar and diabetes…just for you."
The blonde laughed and nodded. "It was delicious, thank you. I was wired all day because I drank both cups but I was very productive so thank you again."
Chloe returned the laugh, her eyes sparkling. "I'm so glad you liked it. I tried to stick to your favorite, the classic black coffee, but add a touch of something to it. Just a little touch of flavor I guess. I'm really glad you liked it."
Aubrey nodded again. "Look, I'm really sorry I was such a bitch…that day you gave me the wrong coffee. I didn't mean to be such a jerk. I'm sorry."
Chloe shook her head, that same sweet smile on her face. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just glad you didn't hold it against us. I really am glad you picked this place as your coffee shop. I look forward to seeing you."
"You do?" Aubrey whispered.
"Yep." Chloe replied.
The blonde nodded and cleared her throat anxiously. "Well…I…I kind of look forward to seeing you too."
Chloe pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and dropped her gaze. "God you're really pretty." She said quietly, surprising herself that she had spoken aloud. "Wow, ok, I said that out loud. So…I would love to have dinner with you sometime. I can cook too you know, not just make coffee. I'd like to get to know you. Not just because you're really pretty! I mean, you are but that's not the only reason…wow."
Aubrey felt her breath catch. She wasn't certain she had heard the redhead correctly. In fact she felt certain that she had to be mistaken. But Chloe was smiling shyly up at her, waiting expectantly.
"Dinner." Aubrey sputtered. "I'd like that. Dinner would be nice."
Chloe bounced up onto the balls of her feet excitedly. "Yeah? That is awesome! Ok, um…tomorrow night? Or is that too soon?"
"No, no tomorrow is fine." The blonde replied.
"Great!" Chloe exclaimed, still smiling widely. "Well here is my number and address. You can just call me when you get off work. I have the early shift again tomorrow so I'll be out of here plenty early so whenever works for you is fine by me."
Aubrey took the slip of paper from Chloe's offered hand and glanced down at the numbers written in loopy scrawl. Even her handwriting was bubbly and friendly. She finally smiled back at the redhead, still somewhat surprised by what had just transpired.
"So dinner…tomorrow." The blonde continued, still with a lopsided grin on her face. "Ok, great. I'm looking forward to it."
Chloe chuckled. "Me too Agent Posen."
Aubrey's smile widened and she nodded. "Ok, well, I'll see you tomorrow then. I'll call you."
She backed away from the counter still smiling before turning on her heel to head for the door. She only made it a few steps before Chloe called out to her.
"Would you like a cup of coffee for the road?"
"Right!" Aubrey exclaimed, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "This is a coffee shop after all right? And I did come in for…coffee."
The blonde was still smiling when she slipped back into the driver seat of her car. Even when she took a sip of her coffee and nearly choked at the taste of caramel and whipped cream, she still couldn't seem to wipe the grin off her face.